Vulcanizing-mold.



PATENTED JUNE13,'1905. I H. z. COBB.

VULCANIZING MOLD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27,1905.

a SHEETS-$113211.

No. 792,198. PATENTED JUNB IS, 1905.

. H. Z. COBB.

VULC AN IZING MOLD.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 27,1905.

62 6 7; e? I Q s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J /1mm: iz 6mg PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

H. Z. COBB.

VULCANIZING MOLD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27,1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY Z. COBB, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWVARFJ.

VULCANIZlNG-MOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,198, dated June 13, 1905. Application filed March 27,1905. Serial No. 252,229.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY Z. COBB, a citizen of the United States, residing at ilmington, in the county of Newcastle and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vulcanizing-Molds, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel construction of mold to enable rubber hose, rubber tires, and other vulcanizable rubber articles which it is advantageous to furnish to the trade in continuous long lengths to be cut into sections of desired lengths for supplying therewith purchasers from the retail dealers, to be vulcanized in such continuous long lengths with facility and expedition, and with the further advantage of materially cheapening the cost of manufacture.

My invention consists in the general construction of a sectional vulcanizing mold which I have devised for accomplishing the aforesaid object; and it also consists in details of the construction and combinations of parts forming the same for the best embodiment of my invention now known to me.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view showing my improved mold, with the cap forming the top section and one or more intermediate sections removed, and illustrating the preferred manner of feeding into it the raw stock to be vulcanized therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the entire mold, taken at the line 2 on Fig. l viewed in the direction of the arrow and enlarged; Fig. 3, a broken view showing the mold in elevation; Fig. 4:, a section taken along the irregular line 4 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 5, a perspective view of one of the intermediate moldsections, showing its preferred form and con struction; Fig. 6, a view showing, separated,

the top and bottom mold sections or heads with an intermediate mold-section between them; Fig. 7, an enlarged plan view of the lower mold-section forming the base-head of the mold, and Fig. 8 an enlarged sectional view of a valve-equipped nozzle inserted into one end of the tubular stock to be vulcanized for introducting therein fluid under pressure for expanding the raw stock in the mold while undergoing vulcanization.

The principle involved in my improved device is that of forming the vulcanizing-mold of sections imposed or piled flatwise one upon the other, with a mold-groove of desired shape extending part way or wholly about the upper face of the base-head section, a similar groove in the lower face of the cap-head or top section, with at least one intermediate mold-section havinga similar groove in each of its lower and upper faces to register, respectively, with the groove in the base-section and that in the cap and form the mold-tube, mold-bore, or mold proper, and this mold-tube opens from one mold-section into the other throughout the structure in a manner to render it a sinuous mold tube or bore extending continuously through the mold structure. This construction of the mold is used by first introducing the green stock to be vulcanized into and laying it in the mold-groove of the lowermost section, then applying an intermediate moldsection to cover the first one, thereby forming the mold-tube to house the stock thus laid and leading the stock into and laying it in the mold-groove in the upper face of the said intermediate section, then placing, if desired, another intermediate mold-section on the first to cover the latter and form with it the moldtube for housing the stock laid upon it, which stock is led out either to the mold-groove in the upper face of another intermediate moldsection, this operation being repeated with each added intermediate mold-section to any desired number, or the third, and anyway the final, mold -section is the cap containing a mold-groove in its lower face to register with the mold-groove in the intermediate mold-sec- .tion on which it is placed and form the terminal section of the sinuous mold-tube. The

mold-sections are then fastened together and a suitable fluid, as water, is introduced into the stock if the latter is hollow or tubular and is confined under pressure therein to serve as a core. The mold, which is preferably of cylindrical form, is then introduced into a vulcanizing-oven, wherein it is laid by preference on its side, and the raw stock is subjected to vulcanization, after which the fluid is discharged and the mold-sections are separated to free the finished product and permit it to be removed and reeled to reduce it to the condition in which it is furnished to dealers. As will hereinafter appear, it is advantageous to provide a plurality of the mold-grooves in each molding-face of each section, since thereby a plurality of long lengths of the raw stock may be laid in the mold in one operation without involving materially more time and labor than is required to lay asingle length, and all can be vulcanized in one heat, thereby producing in each use of the mold as many lengths of, say, five hundred feet, more or less, as there are mold-tubes provided sinuous] y in the mold structure.

A is the base-head or bottom section of the mold, formed preferably of steel and of general disk shape, with bifurcating ears (1/ projecting at suitable intervals apart from its perimeter. At there rises across the upper molding-face of the head a shoulder, from which the surface inclines downwardly in the are described by it, and from the perimeter of the head at this shoulder a horizontallyperforated lug 0 projects outwardly for the purpose hereinfter explained. Two concentric mold-grooves (Z and are shown, Fig. 7, to be provided in. the upper face of the base A, (though only one groove or more than two such grooves may be provided) each extending from the base of the shoulder 7) about the face to the extremity of the top of the shoulder, and the end of each groove where it proceeds from the base of the shoulder is preferably open through the bottom of the base-section, as represented at :r in Fig. 4, to admit a nozzle B, Fig. 8, to enter at one end that of tubular raw stock, such as vulcanizable rubber hose C laid in the mold, as hereinafter described, the nozzle having seated in it an outwardlyclosing check-valve fand being closed at its outer end by a removable screw-plug g. The head A is supported upon a horizontal rotary table D on a standard E, screwed at its upper end centrally into the table and extending through the base of the head to center it, with ball-bearings It between the table and a head E about the standard.

F F are the similar intermediate mold-seetions, one of which is shown in Fig. 5 in its preferred annular form and split transversely at n, with a horizontallyperforated ear 0 projecting outwardly at each end. I prefer to form each section F of light metal, such as aluminium, as a casting in the form of aregular annulus, when the mold-grooves (Z and e in its lower surface and the corresponding mold-grooves (Z and in its upper surface, adapted to coincide with the mold-grooves (Z and 1:, may be conveniently cut with proper trueness, and the light metal is sufficiently yielding to adapt the end Z to be strained above the adjacent end 1/ to conform in inclination to that of the corresponding end pertion of the base A, which terminates in the shoulder 7), thereby leaving the end if to abut against the shoulder 7) and the end if to abut against the end 6 of another similar intermediate section F or against a shoulder provided on the under side of the cap-section or head G, hereinafter described. This cap-section is substantially like the head A inverted, being provided with mold-grooves d and a in its under surface to register with the grooves 05 (Z' (Z and a e respectively, having bifurcated cars a projecting from its perimeter and a shoulder on its under surface terminating an inclined arc-section of the grooved surface, with ahorizontally-perforated lug 0 projecting outwardly from the perimeter at the shoulder. Each groove in the cap-surface opens at one end throughthe cap to ad mita plugged nozzle B, like the nozzle B, except that it contains no valve for closing the final end of the raw stock to confine therein the fluid introduced into it under pressure.

To fill or charge my improved mold with the raw stock to be vulcanized, the latter is provided in coiled condition, preferably in as many rotatable pans (indicated at H in Fig. 1) as there are grooves in each molding-surface of a mold-section, the stock being thus coiled flatwise in a pan as it emerges from the usual or any suitable die-equipped rubberpress. For the purpose of this explanation two such pans may be considered to be provided, as represented, for supplying each a length of, say, five hundred feet of uncured rubber hose to a mold-groove. The rotary pans are positioned in suitable proximity to the mold-head A on its rotary table D when the leading ends of the raw stock are introduced, respectively,into the grooves (Z and e, and a nozzle B is adjusted in each end. An attendant then rotates the pans to feed the stock, while another attendant rotates the head A to lay the stock about in the grooves (Z 0 until each is filled throughout its length. Then the rotation is arrested, and a moldseetion F is imposed on the lower head, with its end 25 meeting the shoulder Z), and the sections are securely connected together by a bolt 21, passed through the meeting lugs c and 0. The section F thus applied registers its grooves 66 and a, respectively, with the grooves (Z and a in the head A to form the mold-tubes 73 and 7: and house therein the laid stock. Thercupon the rotation of the pans and mold is continued to feed the stock to and lay it in the grooves (Z and c in the upper surface of the applied section F, and when they are filled another section F may be adjusted and filled in the same manner as described of the section F first adjusted in place, and any desired number of additional sections F may be adjusted and filled in succession with the raw stock in the same manner, according to the length of raw stock to be cured. Finally, the cap-section G is adjusted on the last-placed section F, (which of course may be the first or only intermediate section if the length of stock to be vulcanized is comparatively short.) The cap-section is adjusted to cause its shoulder Z) to meet the raised end t of the section F below it and bring the respective lug 0' into coincidence with the lug c to be fastened together by a bolt 7?, and the grooves (Z and e register, respectively, with the grooves (Z and c in the adjacent section F to form the terminals of the mold-tubes 7c in, housing the end portions of the stock confined in them and into the ends of which the nozzles B are introduced and suitably fastened. The mold-sections are then clamped together by bolt-rods introduced at their lower headed ends into the ears (L and at their opposite threaded ends into the ears (0', wherein they are tightened by nuts Z. Of course other means for fastening the mold-sections together may be employed without departure from my invention. The plugs are then removed from the nozzles B and water or other suitable fluid is forced from a suitable source (not shown) into the tubular raw stock through the nozzles B. If water is the medium employed, the plugs of the nozzles B are removed to permit the water to drive out the air in the tubing and are reinserted as soon as water discharges from the upper nozzles, when their plugs are replaced and the water is forced to the desired degree of pressure in the tubing from the nozzles B. The mold is then ready to be taken off the table D and rolled or otherwise transferred to a vulcanizing-oven (not shown) of any known or suitable variety, in which the raw stock is cured. After completion of the vulcanizing operation the mold is removed from the oven and taken apart to be used over again and free the finished product, which is coiled upon reels and made ready for shipment to dealers, who are thus enabled to out from the reeled product sections in any lengths desired by their retail customers.

It will be observed that the raised ends of the grooved surfaces of the mold-sections, connected, as they are, with the lower or relatively depressed ends of the sections imposed on them in the manner shown and described, produce the sinuous mold-tubes 75 7t" continuously throughout the mold-structure, which enables the stock to be laid in each in an unbroken length of any desired extent within the capacity of the structure, according to the number of mold-sections employed, which is limited only to producing dimensions of the structure that permit it to be handled and received in the vulcanizing-oven. Instead of producing the sinuously-continuous mold-tube through the structure in the exact manner shown and described each moldingsurface of every section may incline throughout from the base of the shoulder on it regularly to the top thereof; but the described ular details of construction and combinations of parts, except in such of the appended claims as specify such details and combinations, for the latter may without departure from my invention be variously modified by those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure 2. A vulcanizing-mold for the purpose set forth, comprising, in combination, a plurality of mold-sections separably secured flatwise one upon the other in series, and having a plurality of mold-grooves in each moldingface to register with the mold-grooves in the 1 opposing face of the next adjacentsection, said grooves extending about said faces and continuously and sinuously through the mold.

3. A vulcanizing-mold for the purpose set forth, comprising, in combination, heads, forming mold-sections, and one or more intermediate annular sections, all piled flatwise' one upon the other and separably secured together in series and provided in their opposing faces with registering mold -grooves extending about said faces and continuously and sinuously through the mold.

4:. A vulcanizing-mold for the purpose set forth, comprising, in combination, heads, forming mold-sections, and intermediate annular sections, all piled flatwise one upon the other and separably secured together in series and provided about each molding-face with a plurality of mold-grooves to register with the mold-grooves in the opposing face of the next adjacent section, said grooves extending continuously and sinuously through the mold.

5. A vulcanizing-mold for the purpose set forth, comprising, in combination, a base head forming a mold-section provided on its upper face with an upright shoulder, to which said face inclines upwardly, and with'a moldgroove about said face, a cap-head forminga mold-section provided on its lower face with a depending shoulder to which said face inclines downwardly, and with a mold-groove about said face, an intermediate mold-section having mold-grooves in its opposite faces corresponding, respectively, with those in said heads, lugs on said intermediate section, and lugs projecting from said heads adjacent to the shoulders thereon and at which they are releasably secured to the lugs on the intermediate section, said grooves extending continuously and sinuously through the mold, and means for separably securing said moldsections together in series.

6. A vulcanizing-mold for the purpose set forth, comprising, in combination, a basehead forming a mold-section provided on its upper face with an upright shoulder, to which said face inclines upwardly, and with a plurality of concentric mold-grooves about said face, a cap-head forming a mold-section provided on its lower face with a depending shoulder, to which said face .inclines downwardly, and with a plurality of mold-grooves about said face, an intermediate mold-section having a plurality of concentric mold-grooves in each of its two faces corresponding, respectively, vith those in said heads and provided with lugs, and lugs projectingfrom said heads adjacent to the shoulders thereon to coincide with those on the intermediate section at which it is releasably secured thereto, said grooves extending continuously and sinuously through the mold, and means for separably securing said mold-sections together in series.

7. A vulcanizing-mold for the purpose set forth, comprising, in combination, a basehead forming a mold-section provided on its upper face with an upright shoulder,to which said face inclines upwardly, and with a moldgroove about said face, a cap-head forminga mold-section provided on its lower face with a depending shoulder, to which said face inclines downwardly, and with a mold-groove about said face, an intermediate annular split 4 mold-section having its ends one above the other at which they coincide with and are releasably secured, respectively, to said shoulders, said annular section having a moldgroove in each of its two faces corresponding with the mold-grooves in said heads, said grooves in the several sections extending continuously and sinuously through the mold, and means for separably securing said moldsections together in series.

8. A vulcanizing-mold for the purpose set forth, comprising, in combination, a basehead forming a mold-section having ears projecting from its perimeter and provided on its upper face with an upright shoulder to which said face inclines upwardly, and with one or more mold-grooves about said face, a caphead forming a mold-section having ears projecting from its perimeter and provided on its lower face with a depending shoulder, to which said face inclines downwardly,and with one or more mold-grooves about said face, a plurality of intermediate annular split moldsections each provided about each of its faces with one or more mold-grooves corresponding with those in said heads, the ends of each annular section being one above the other, and said sections being releasably secured together in series at said shoulders and ends, said grooves extending continuously and sinuously through the mold, and bolt-rods releasably engaging the ears on both heads to bind the mold-sections together.

HENRY Z. COBB.

In presence of CLIFFORD V. MANNERING, R. J. CoYLE. 

